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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26826910">Pick-Me-Up</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101'>kopycat_101</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Art Club, Art teacher is named Mr. Carracci, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Bad Flirting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Banter, Blushing, Boys In Love, Cute, Cute Kids, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gay Panic, Gen, Getting Together, I am once again making the art teacher the best teacher, Love Confessions, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Middle School, Nathaniel and Alix are Childhood Best Friends, Nino and Max join the Art Club, Pick-Up Lines, Slash, Supportive Teachers, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenagers, This here is Art Club Loving Hours, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wingman Alix Kubdel, Wingman Marinette Dupain-Cheng, they deserve to be in more fics and I love them Send Tweet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:01:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26826910</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopycat_101/pseuds/kopycat_101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are these…” Marc starts, feeling dread well in his stomach.</p><p>“Yup! Pick up lines!” Marinette nods, whispering excitedly. “I looked them up online, and picked the best ones for you to use.”</p><p>Oh God. Nope. Not going to happen.</p><p>“Marinette, I can’t—can’t just use <em>pick up lines</em> on Nathaniel…!” the writer hisses.</p><p>(Or: the fic where Marc tries to use cheesy pick up lines on Nathaniel, much to his own embarrassment. The ending to something so ridiculous and disastrous is one the writer doesn’t expect.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alix Kubdel &amp; Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Art Teacher (Miraculous Ladybug) &amp; Everyone, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Marc Anciel &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Max Kanté/Lê Chiến Kim, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>93</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>MarcNath Fics!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pick-Me-Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Some more fluff!! Because we need more fluff for these boys.</p><p>This was just going to be a short prompt, and now we're at 4k. I'm not even surprised anymore [peace sign and disappears]</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p>“Marinette. This is <em>not</em> going to work,” Marc whispered harshly to the half-Chinese girl as they huddled in the corner of Room 33.</p><p> </p><p>Art Club was going to start any minute now. Currently, not all the members were in the Art Room just yet, so there wasn’t much of a chance of him and Marinette being overheard, but still. It was nerve-wracking to scheme in the <em>same room</em> as his crush.</p><p> </p><p>The writer glanced over nervously where said crush was sitting at the usual table they took when working on their comic. He jerks his head away when the redhead catches him in the act, feeling his cheeks warm.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, Marc! It’ll definitely work,” Marinette nods enthusiastically.</p><p> </p><p>“P-Please keep your voice down,” Marc hisses, feeling as tight as a bowstring, hands jittery with nerves.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” the girl whispers back sheepishly with a wince, clapping her hands in front of herself. “I’m just trying to help…”</p><p> </p><p>Marc knows she is. Marinette has a heart of gold and always wants to help others, especially if it’s a friend in need. But Marc’s found that while she has good intentions, the half-Chinese girl <em>does</em> tend to stick her nose in things she shouldn’t…</p><p> </p><p>Before he can bring up more of his worries, Marinette is digging through her bag. She gives a noise of triumph as she brings out a sheet of paper, shoving it in his hands with little fanfare. “Nathaniel, he’s a romantic. You flirt with him and then ask him out, he’s bound to say yes…!”</p><p> </p><p>Marc stares down at the sheet of paper in his hands.</p><p> </p><p>It’s…a list.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I must be in a museum, because you truly are a work of art.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Do you believe in love at first sight—or should I walk by again?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm no photographer, but I can picture us together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you were words on a page, you’d be fine print.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Life without you is like a broken pencil…pointless.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Are these…” Marc starts, feeling dread well in his stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“Yup! Pick up lines!” Marinette nods, whispering excitedly. “I looked them up online, and picked the best ones for you to use.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh God. Nope. Not going to happen.</p><p> </p><p>“Marinette, I can’t—can’t just use <em>pick up lines</em> on Nathaniel…!” the writer hisses. He’s already feeling majorly embarrassed, and he hasn’t even uttered a single word of what’s on this list.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure you can!” the pigtail wearing girl insists in a fervent whisper. “Read these like they’re a script, okay? That way you won’t have to think of anything or mess up on what to say. They’re guaranteed to work!”</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, Marc <em>highly</em> doubts that.</p><p> </p><p>But before he can protest more, Marinette is taking his shoulders and spinning him around. With the writer facing the exact direction Nathaniel is sitting, the pigtail-wearing girl places her hands against Marc’s back and literally pushes him towards his crush. Marinette is surprisingly strong, easily able to manhandle him forwards. Marc tries to dig his heels in the floor to stop his steady slide, but the half-Chinese girl just keeps pushing him forwards without even pausing.</p><p> </p><p>The writer finds himself nearly tripping over his own feet when Marinette gives him one last shove forwards. He stumbles and pinwheels his arms, slamming his hands loudly on the table his crush is sitting at, gripping the edge for dear life.</p><p> </p><p>And then he realizes the list he has in his hand was lying rather incriminatingly on the table, face up. He snatches the sheet of paper back, pressing it against his sternum, while Nathaniel blinks back at him in mingled confusion and amusement.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Marc,” the redhead says casually, nodding at the writer with a crooked grin. “What’s that?”</p><p> </p><p>“N-nothing!” Marc squeaks, his face aflame. “Nothing, just, a—a thing.”</p><p> </p><p>“A thing?”</p><p> </p><p>“A thing,” Marc nods frantically. “F-for writing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay…” Nathaniel says bemusedly, still eying the terrible and incriminating sheet of paper. “Nice of Marinette to help you with that, uh, writing thing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Y-Yeah,” Marc says waveringly. “Um. G-Gonna grab, uh, my stuff real quick.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” the artist nods, shooting him a warm smile. Marc feels his heart flutter.</p><p> </p><p>The writer turns right on his heel and speed-walks back towards Marinette, which just so happens to be where he left his backpack and notebook. The half-Chinese girl looks back at him, giving a disappointed pout. “Marc, what—”</p><p> </p><p>“J-Just getting m-my things,” he tells her, his rampant people-pleasing nature making him try to assuage her.</p><p> </p><p>In reality, he’d like to turn to the door and run out of the room. But that would disappoint Marinette, and disappoint Nathaniel for abandoning him instead of working on their comic, and it would also disappoint himself as well.</p><p> </p><p>He’s done being a coward and literally running away from Nathaniel. He’s gotten comfortable with his crush to the point that he can spend time with the other boy without making a complete fool of himself. He can’t revert to how he was acting <em>before</em>, over something stupid like this.</p><p> </p><p>Marinette must see the determination in his eyes, because her pout morphs into a smile, until she’s beaming at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck!” she cheers in a loud whisper, giving him a not-so-subtle thumbs up to go along with it. While Marc is dreading what he must do next, at least Marinette cheering him on makes him feel a little better.</p><p> </p><p>Marc picks up his backpack, shoves the list of pickup lines inside his notebook, and makes his way back to his usual seat next to Nathaniel.</p><p> </p><p>Alright. Time to see if he can do it. See if he can flirt. With Nathaniel.</p><p> </p><p>Should be fine, right…? Maybe if he says it enough times, it’ll make it true.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Marc sits down on the left of Nathaniel in his usual seat. The redhead smiles at him again—Marc ignoring how his heart skips a beat—before going back to coloring something in his sketchbook.</p><p> </p><p>Marc tries to go for casual as he riffles through his notebook, not jumping straight to the list until he peeks from his peripherals and sees that his crush is busy with his art.</p><p> </p><p>The writer looks through the list of pick up lines again, finding himself cringing at how cheesy and awkward they sounded. They would be cute…when not actually used on someone. They even make somewhat funny jokes.</p><p> </p><p>Marc can’t use these. He <em>can’t</em>. If he does, he’ll die of embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>He looks over to the other side of the room, where Marinette is attempting to draw in her own sketchbook while obviously staring over at their table. Oh God. She’s watching. And she probably won’t stop until he actually tries one.</p><p> </p><p>Marc lets out a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>He jolts in his seat when he hears Nathaniel ask, “Hey, is something wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Wh-what? Huh?” Marc asks, a little panicked, snapping his head to look at the artist fast enough to cause whiplash. Apparently, his sigh wasn’t as quiet as he’d thought, if it managed to catch the other’s attention.</p><p> </p><p>“Seems like something’s bothering you,” the artist says, giving an encouraging and sweet smile. “Is there something I can do to help, Marc?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Okay, Marc. Don’t panic</em>,” he thinks, feeling himself tense up like a bowstring. “<em>This is the perfect time to flirt. Just. Act. Casual</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc darts his eyes down to the list, the words swimming under his eyes, and just picks the phrase that jumps out at him first. Which happens to be the first one on the list.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“J-Just, uh. Thinking about h-how I’d, uh…Arrange the alphabet.”</p><p> </p><p>Aaaaand then he clamps his mouth shut. He just can’t do it. This is too cheesy.</p><p> </p><p>“…Arrange the alphabet?” the redhead asks, smile turning crooked.</p><p> </p><p>Damn it. He’s going to have to follow through, now. Marc forces his jaw to unclench, managing to get out, “Re-arrange it. To put, um. ‘I’ and ‘U’…”</p><p> </p><p>And he can’t even land a simple pick up line that he literally has in his hands, in front of his face…!</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Congratulations, Marc!</em>” he thinks, with no small amount of hysteria, “<em>You’ve done it! You’ve done fucked it up!</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“Hm…I guess.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc glances up at Nathaniel through his lashes at the rather neutral response.</p><p> </p><p>Nathaniel’s grin is boyish, and he props his head up on his hand. “I personally think ‘U’ and ‘I’ together sounds like it fits perfectly,” the redhead declares, voice light and teasing. The blue eye not covered by his overgrown bangs gleams bright.</p><p> </p><p>If Marc’s face wasn’t red before, it sure is now.</p><p> </p><p>“I-I…You…I…” the writer finds himself stuttering, because Nathaniel was flirting with him and <em>his mind can’t handle it right now</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, that’s what I said. You and I,” Nathaniel states. Everything about him drips mischievous joy, from the tilt of his mouth, to the way his gleaming eye was half-lidded and staring pointedly back at him.</p><p> </p><p>Marc wheezes. He brings up his notebook to hide his no doubt beet-red face, like a shield.</p><p> </p><p>“So…” the other starts, and Marc sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth. “While you’re looking in that notebook of yours, can you find me an extra heart?”</p><p> </p><p>Wait. What?</p><p> </p><p>“Wh…What?” the writer asks, peeking over the top of his notebook carefully.</p><p> </p><p>“An extra heart,” Nathaniel repeats, tucking his bangs behind his ears and giving Marc an exaggerated wink. “‘Cuz I think you just stole mine.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc finds himself giggling back, incredulous. And flattered. And a little giddy. His heart thrums staccato in his chest. “I-I don’t have an—an extra heart,” he starts shyly, finally lowering his notebook, “B-but you can have mine…”</p><p> </p><p>The artist smiles back at him with all his teeth. “Yeah, I think that’s a fair trade. A heart for a heart.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc smiles at the other, feeling himself melt.</p><p> </p><p>He’s just started to lose himself in the sea of Nathaniel’s eyes, before he’s startled by a loud squeal.</p><p> </p><p>The writer jolts, turning in his seat to see Marinette cupping her face and dancing in place. Oh. Oh no. He’d forgotten all about the fact that she’d be watching them.</p><p> </p><p>With dawning horror, Marc darts his eyes around the room. And sees everyone in Art Club unabashedly staring at him and Nathaniel.</p><p> </p><p>Oh <em>no</em>.</p><p> </p><p>How long was everyone watching them…?!</p><p> </p><p>Rose starts squealing next, after Marinette. The tiny blonde grabs her girlfriend by the arm and physically shakes Juleka. The goth seems unbothered by the action, a slow and wide smile creeping on her face.</p><p> </p><p>In the corner of the room, Nino’s moves one of his headphones away from his ear, grinning and sending them a thumbs up. Next to him and on his own laptop, Max smiles, looking liable to laugh at any moment at their predicament.</p><p> </p><p>And then there’s Alix, who’s hollering from her place at the front with her graffiti-covered plywood canvas. “Ask him out already…!”</p><p> </p><p>“I-I just—I was <em>getting</em> to that, Al…!” Nathaniel calls back at his best friend, his face blending with the color of his hair. “Fuck off!”</p><p> </p><p>“Nathaniel, language,” Mr. Carracci chides gently. Even their teacher looks wholly amused at the situation, a wide and kind smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” Nathaniel grumbles, glaring over at a smug-looking Alix.</p><p> </p><p>“Alix, it’s not nice to pressure others into doing something,” the art teacher goes on in an even voice. The skater’s face takes on a pouting quality, and she nods in understanding. “But boys, if you need to step out for a few minutes away from the rest of the club to, ah…<em>work things out</em>, then you’re more than welcome to.”</p><p> </p><p>“We don’t,” Nathaniel says quickly, waving his hands frantically in front of himself. “We’ll just—we’ll keep quiet.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc bites his lip and nods meekly. If Nathaniel doesn’t want to talk about it…That’s fine.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe Nathaniel flirting back with him was a fluke…</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Marc wrote everything off as a fluke. After all, why would Nathaniel flirt back with him? Especially when he’d botched everything up so badly…?</p><p> </p><p>But as things settle down and they turn back in their seats, Marc notes that Nathaniel is bent over and furiously scribbling something down in his sketchbook with a frantic fervor. After a few seconds, the redhead nods to himself, tearing out the sheet and sliding it over to Marc.</p><p> </p><p>It was a note.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Sorry about that, Marc. Didn’t mean to make a scene.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Date this Friday at the park? Yes/No?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Marc finds himself smiling, scribbling his response under the message.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Yes! We can go after classes :)</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The writer passes the slip of paper back to Nathaniel, who takes it eagerly. A wide smile spreads on his face, shifting the map of freckles on his cheeks. He looks up at Marc, who smiles back at the artist.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll text you later, then,” Nathaniel whispers.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Marc nods.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“See! I <em>told</em> you the pick up lines would work!” Marinette squeals after club ends and she’s cornered Marc to ‘talk’ with him.</p><p> </p><p>Marc shakes his head, finding himself smiling. They really didn’t help at all…But if Marinette wants to think that, he’ll let her.</p><p> </p><p>“Y-Yeah, they did. Somehow,” he says, just a bit teasingly. At the pout forming on the girl’s lips, Marc giggles and says, “Thank you, though, Marinette. It all ended up working out in the end.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you two going out on a date?!” Rose demands, literally jumping into the conversation, bouncing on her toes like a hyperactive chipmunk. Her girlfriend trails behind her like a shadow. “When?! Where?! What’re you doing?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Th-that’s…Um…” Marc starts, his face going warm, feeling nervous sweat bead on his brow.</p><p> </p><p>He shoots a panicked glance at the doorway, where Nathaniel is being dragged out by a demanding Alix, Max and Nino following in her wake. No doubt to grill Nathaniel as well. The look of pure terror in the redhead’s uncovered blue eye was both funny and a big Mood, honestly.</p><p> </p><p>“Isn’t that kinda private?” Juleka points out in her usual low, half-muttered voice.</p><p> </p><p>“But I wanna knoooow!” Rose insists, giving big ol’ puppy dog eyes up at her girlfriend. Marc can tell the instant the goth girl melts, because her amber eye turns ridiculously gooey, like melted chocolate.</p><p> </p><p>Oh man. Was he that hopeless with Nathaniel…?</p><p> </p><p>“No, no. We shouldn’t meddle!” Marinette declares, hands on her hips and nodding her head. “…Though I really wanna know too. But no more meddling!”</p><p> </p><p>“Didn’t you technically meddle today…?” Marc can’t help but point out, watching as the half-Chinese girl freezes in place, gaping liking a fish and looking very much guilty.</p><p> </p><p>“I—Well—I mean—” the pigtail-wearing girl sputters, hands fluttering to and fro.</p><p> </p><p>“If you won’t tell Marinette, will you still tell me and Juleka?” Rose wheedles, ever the opportunist. Behind her, Juleka gazes down at her girlfriend with a fondly exasperated look.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not telling any of you anything,” Marc decides. “There isn’t even much to tell—”</p><p> </p><p>“But are you and Nathaniel actually going on a date or not?! Please tell me my efforts weren’t in vain,” Marinette says, clasping her hands in front of herself pleadingly.</p><p> </p><p>Marc can’t help it. He laughs at the eager looks on all the girls’ faces. “Yeah, we are,” he confirms, before shouldering his bag and grabbing his notebook. “See you later.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc manages to dart away before any of the three girls can grab him, smiling wide and running out the door.</p><p> </p><p>Down the hall, he sees an embarrassed and long-suffering redhead looking like he wished he could phase through the floor.</p><p> </p><p>Alix was very loudly and dramatically singing a love song while she kept Nathaniel in a headlock. Nino was singing along with her, sandwiching Nathaniel in on his other side. Max had a fist up to his mouth and looked like he was trying not to crack up, but the way he was trembling and wheezing showed that he was losing that battle.</p><p> </p><p>“I believe—<em>snrk</em>—Nathaniel will—<em>pffff</em>—keep quiet,” Max says, as Marc jogs up to them.</p><p> </p><p>Nathaniel looks up with an expression of pure relief at his appearance.</p><p> </p><p>“Marc, help. They’re killing me,” the redhead whines pitifully, reaching an arm out towards him.</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, dude, don’t be dramatic,” Nino laughs, poking the shorter boy in the cheek.</p><p> </p><p>The writer takes Nathaniel’s outstretched hand, helping yank him out of Alix’s hold, and doesn’t stop running. Nathaniel gets dragged along for a few beats, before he’s laughing and trying to keep up.</p><p> </p><p>“My hero…!” Nathaniel jokes through his sweet, bright laughter.</p><p> </p><p>Marc giggles. “Well, I couldn’t just leave the prince to fend for himself!”</p><p> </p><p>When he turns to look at Nathaniel, the other’s face is flushed a deep pink, and he’s grinning wide, face framed by messy strands of red hair.</p><p> </p><p>He looks happy. He looks gorgeous.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>I did that</em>,” Marc can’t help but think. <em>“I made him happy</em>.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The two keep running, hands clasped tight and giggling like lunatics, until they’re out of school and hit the sidewalk. They slow to a walk, then, safely outside of the school and away from their nosey friends. But as they walk, they don’t let go of one another’s hands.</p><p> </p><p>Their hands fit together perfectly, Marc finds. Like they were meant for each other. Easy and natural.</p><p> </p><p>“God must be looking for you right now, since he’s missing an angel up in Heaven,” the redhead says in a slightly breathless voice as the two make their way down the sidewalk.</p><p> </p><p>Marc laughs, mirth spilling past his lips like champagne bubbles, butterflies fluttering in his stomach and making him want to fly through the sky.</p><p> </p><p>“M-maybe I’m supposed to be your guardian angel. Since I’m the one saving you and all,” the writer shoots back, slightly teasing, squeezing the other’s hand in his.</p><p> </p><p>The bright and delighted smile the other gives him is all he needs to know that he said something right.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe so,” Nathaniel admits, voice soft and blue eye softer. “I’m lucky, then.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m the one that’s lucky,” Marc refutes. “Lucky that my trainwreck flirting actually managed to <em>work</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>The other boy laughs, long and loud, throwing his head back to bare the long and pale line of his throat. Marc’s eyes are riveted. The other is so free and gorgeous when he laughs like this. Not to mention, Marc wanted to kiss that throat very much.</p><p> </p><p>“S-Sorry! It’s not—not you, it’s just…” Nathaniel snorts, “Okay, maybe partially?”</p><p> </p><p>“Gee, thanks,” Marc deadpans, which earns him a snicker.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s just…I dunno. You trying and failing to use cheesy pick up lines on me was actually pretty cute.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc blinks back incredulously. “W-wait—was it really?”</p><p> </p><p>The redhead grins wide, nodding. “Yeah. It was <em>adorable</em>,” he coos, grin turning into a smirk.</p><p> </p><p>Marc’s face feels like it’s a furnace. He squeaks, hunching in on himself and slapping a hand over his eyes. “Oh God.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was so clumsy, it managed to wrap around to being charming. I just couldn’t resist.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh <em>God</em>.”</p><p> </p><p>He hears the other giggle, and carefully peaks between his fingers.</p><p> </p><p>“It was sweet,” Nathaniel says, with an achingly fond smile, cheeks flushed a fetching pink. “<em>You’re</em> sweet. You always have been.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc feels his breath hitch. “Always…have been?”</p><p> </p><p>The writer watches as the other’s cheeks darken, how the other ducks his head to look up through his lashes. “Y-yeah…I’ve always thought so, but, well. I guess this is the first time I’ve ever admitted it out loud.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc can’t help it. He feels himself melt instantly, his heart soaring. “You’re sweet, too. Even if you get sassy or angry or annoyed…You’re always c-cute no matter what you do.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s Nathaniel’s turn to get embarrassed, bringing a hand up to rub at his red cheek. “Oh, fuck. Compliments. My one weakness.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc smiles bashfully. “I think that’s a weakness for both of us.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is,” the redhead sighs, but he’s grinning when he does.</p><p> </p><p>The teens stop at the entrance of the subway station to riffle for their wallets, the foot traffic merely walking past them without stopping. Like they were stones embedded in a riverbed, the river flowing around them.</p><p> </p><p>“I think the bigger problem we’ve got is our friends hounding us for details,” Nathaniel sighs with fond exasperation. “Any ideas?”</p><p> </p><p>“Run away from them like I did?” Marc suggests half-jokingly.</p><p> </p><p>The artist snorts. “Valid. But we can’t run forever.”</p><p> </p><p>Hm. That’s true. And especially with how nosy their friends and classmates are, plus the freshness of their relationship…</p><p> </p><p>Yeah, that tactic won’t last for long.</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s just take it one step at a time, then,” Marc decides.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Nathaniel nods, squeezing his hand in promise.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The next Art Club meeting, Marc is sitting at his usual table and settling himself in. Marinette is sitting across from him, grinning wide and with her sketchbook out, but obviously ready to gossip.</p><p> </p><p>Marc hears and feels someone sit on his right. He finds himself smiling, his smile widening when he hears the familiar voice of his new boyfriend—<em>boyfriend</em>! Wow is that strange to think.</p><p> </p><p>“So, babe…You come here often?” Marc turns just in time to see Nathaniel push his bangs back to give a cheesy wink.</p><p> </p><p>The writer bites his lip to bite down a laugh. “To…the Art Room?”</p><p> </p><p>He hears Marinette snort across from him. “Oh my God.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is this what this room is?” Nathaniel asks innocently, blue eyes gleaming and smile crooked on his lips. “Fascinating. Can you tell me more?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you see,” Marc starts, trying very hard to keep his voice level. “This is the room where the art classes take place, as well as the Art Club. We’re currently in Art Club.”</p><p> </p><p>“You sure this is Art Club and not an art museum?” Nathaniel asks, trying to smolder back at Marc. “Because you really are a masterpiece.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc can’t help it. He breaks, burying his burning face in his hands and giggling.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my <em>God</em>!” Marinette wheezes, slapping her hand on the table.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re the one that started this, Marinette,” Nathaniel points out. “By giving Marc those pick up lines, you’ve unleashed this.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Marc’s</em> the one that was supposed to use those, not <em>you</em>!”</p><p> </p><p>“And I saw the opportunity and took it.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc giggles and shoves at his boyfriend’s shoulder. “You’re going to kill me before club even starts.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well we can’t have that, can we? I’ll stop,” the redhead promises with a smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll leave you two to it,” Marinette declares standing up and grabbing her sketchbook, a beaming smile on her face. “But I want details later, Marc!”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, later. Oh, and if you need help using pick up lines on Adrien, you know where to find us,” Marc teases, waving his fingers at her.</p><p> </p><p>The half-Chinese girl squeaks, face quickly flushing a deep pink, before she takes her sketchbook and skitters away to her usual seat.</p><p> </p><p>Nathaniel snickers, leaning in to mutter, “Wow, that got rid of her fast. Way to go for the throat there.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was a genuine offer, to be fair,” Marc says with a smile and shake of his head. “But I’m not sure if the chances of another success by doing <em>this</em> again are very high.”</p><p> </p><p>“We could ask Max to crunch some numbers for us?”</p><p> </p><p>“We shouldn’t bother him…”</p><p> </p><p>“Fair,” Nathaniel shrugs. “Besides, I don’t think he’ll even be here today in club. He’s busy playing house with Markov and Kim.”</p><p> </p><p>Marc finds his smile turning sympathetic. “You think we should offer him some flirting advice…?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m pretty sure the poor guy’s either in denial, or he’s done every single calculation imaginable on how to confess.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or he could have done both.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or he’s done both,” Nathaniel agrees with a nod, grabbing onto Marc’s hand. The other rubs a thumb over Marc’s knuckles, and Marc finds all his worries being thrown straight out the window. “Max’ll figure it out, though. I believe in them.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do, too…” Marc nods as well, finding his smile widen. “But, if they need a push, maybe we can point Marinette in his direction.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Max would <em>hate</em> that…” Nathaniel says, eyes gleaming mischievously. “Let’s only use that as a last resort.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Marc says, bringing up their interlinked hands up so he can give a quick kiss to the back of Nathaniel’s knuckles.</p><p> </p><p>The redhead instantly turns pink. Marc also hears a squeal rent the air, and turns to look over at a beaming Rose. He feels his own face flush.</p><p> </p><p>“So romantic…!” Rose proclaims dreamily.</p><p> </p><p>“Rose. We do the same thing,” Juleka states, pointedly picking up Rose’s hand to kiss the back of the blonde’s knuckles. The girl literally swoons, and Juleka sighs, a fond smile on her lips.</p><p> </p><p>“Hell yeah, hit us with that gay shit!” Alix hoots, shaking up a spray can and grinning wide.</p><p> </p><p>“Alix, language,” Mr. Carracci reminds in a gentle chide.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, Art Dad,” Alix replies cheekily with a little salute. “Hit us with that good gay shiz!” Mr. Carracci just smiles like a fondly exasperated parent as the rest of the club cracks up.</p><p> </p><p>Marc finally lets go of Nathaniel’s hand to pick up his pen, sharing a grin with his boyfriend.</p><p> </p><p>Now that they’ve gotten a little pick-me-up, it’s time to work on their comic. Together.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love these kids. They're such disasters, but they support each other.</p><p>Comments? Concerns? Just want to keysmash because everything is too cute? All valid.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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